It’s been difficult to find decent Vietnamese restaurants in general in NYC. A lot of them just don’t get the broth in pho right. This one seemed like a more upscale version of general Vietnamese cuisine, and I saw it open less than a year ago on Yelp. It was tough at first to walk in a few times, so fortunately the hype subsided, and I was able to get an easy reservation on Friday at 5:30 PM for 2 people.
Ambiance & Service
The interior doesn’t have much frill, but the service is pretty fast. When you pay, they bring a card machine as well.
Food
They gave us complimentary peanuts with nori. This had a little sweetness to it as well.
The Tipsy Forest ($16) came with shochu (Japanese spirit), pandan, coconut, and lime. I did not find this tasty at all, and neither did my partner. There was a lot of clashing of flavors, and the ingredients didn’t mix well.
The Nem Ran ($11) was crispy spring rolls with nuoc cham (Vietnamese fish sauce). The lettuce seemed like they were frail and dying. But the spring rolls were tasty.
The Cua Ram Muoi ($21) was crispy marinated soft shell crab with salt and pepper. This tasted OK as well. I wasn’t sure what the purpose of the lettuce was, but I was surprised they gave us 3 pieces. The seasoning on the soft shell crab was forgettable, but the texture was crispy.
The Crab Meat Fried Rice ($22) came with house tamarind sauce fried rice, crab meat, poached egg, carrots, scallion, onion, and chili flakes. The fried rice of course has a little sweetness to it. The crab meat was not a lot, but my partner did enjoy this.
The Pho Bo ($18) was a 24-hour simmered beef broth noodle soup with rib eye. I also ordered an extra second meat of brisket (+$2). If you wanted to order a third meat, it would be an extra $4. The pho here was average at best. The soup was hot, but it did not have much flavor and was a bit on the watery side. The meat was good. The red sauce sitting on top of the mint leaves and sprouts was some sort of spicy, very strong flavored chili sauce. I didn’t use it much and instead preferred the sriracha and oyster sauce combo.
Final Verdict
Brasserie VietNam was a decent Vietnamese restaurant in the West Village, but unfortunately many of the things we got were just not good enough to help it stand out. If you’re really craving for this cuisine, sure check it out, but there are better Vietnamese options in the city.
Yelp Jabs
Truly one of the best meals I’ve had in awhile and every dish kept surprising me.
This Elitist must have received payment for their review. I was very underwhelmed by all the food.
The pho broth I prefer to have a bit more flavor but the broth wasn’t too oily which I appreciate. Overall this was some of the better Vietnamese I’ve had in the city.
I very much disagree with this being as some of the better Vietnamese in the city. Take a look at the many NYC reviews for other options that are probably in comparison or better.
Revisions
- Jan 12, 2024 - Initial revision.